Disruptive innovation brings on innovative solution strategy

On December 31, 2012 the last print edition of Newsweek magazine hit the newsstands. A print publication for nearly eighty years, Newsweek was sold in 2010 to Barry Diller’s online advertising and media giant, IAC (Interactive Corp), and its online offer, The Daily Beast. Tina Brown became editor of both the Daily Beast and the new online version of Newsweek Global. For $0.48/weekly issue, the new online version can be read on the iPad, Kindle, Nook, Android, desktop PCs and Macs. After its sale to the IAC, most of the major columnists jumped ship. The weekly magazine already had difficulties in 2007, when it left its news-sharing relationship with NBC, MSNBC and MSNBC.com to create its standalone online presence in Newsweek.com. Paywalls in print media can trace their beginnings to the Wall Street Journal decision of 2007 to charge for online content. At the beginning of 2013, it appears that most newspapers and weekly magazines have installed paywalls, either soft or hard versions, which permit some permeability of content. As the reader technology platforms evolve, print media continues to seek out the best format for reaching consumers. Whether there will be room in the marketplace for news weeklies such as Newsweek remains to be seen. Delivery formats are likely to include changes in content. The disruptive innovation brought about by digital readers and tablets is obliging the content provider to change its business model.